Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-26
ANOVEL TAUGHT HIM.
e"'oOO Obtained by Young Cuban
ona Forged Check and Found
Klfd.
New York SUM-


A. well dressed young man, whose
Characteristic face proclaimed him
Cuban, presented a check for $1,000,
purpoIting TO be signed by A. Y. Quih-
tame for Fernandez Brothers, of Ha-
v0na, at the Bank of Commerce shortly
after noon on Friday, with a letter to
the cashier reading as follows:
"Ihc immediate object of this is TO
present our clerCk, book keeper of ours
house IN HavaDna, Mr.. L. r.. AIguellcs.
Please use TO pay our check for s., 900,
ofdor +. II. ArPuelles.
Respectfully,
"IERNANDE2 BROTHEES.,
"per A. Y. Quintane."
Mr.. Sherman. the cashier, had pre-
viously received 10y mail letter SINH.
larry signed, which ran thus:
VII you please pay our check TO
the order of T.. r. Arguelles for 3, O)j {?
That is our clerk III Havana"
Tie handwriting of the letters was
different, but the signatures were alike,
and they seemed to be Quintanes. lie
is the New York agent " the sugar and
tobacco house OF Fernandez Brothers,
IN Cuba. The signature of the check
seemed 10 be all right, and the check
itself WAS made ont on one OF Mr..
Cuiutsnc's blanks. Nevertheless, Mr..
Sherman took the precautlon of send
ing the check 10 Mr.. Quiniane's
Office to have the signature acknow-
lodged. The young Cuban, who seemed
to understand English, although he
couldn't speak it, remained IN the bank
while this was being done. Mr.. GUM
tame was ont, but one of his two clerks,
who was in the Office, said lie thought
the signature 70 the 5000 check look
ed Ike that OF his employer
Mr.. Sherman, therefore, paid over
the money without having the dark
complxioned stranger identified. He
gave him three $1,000 bills.
When Mr.. Quintsne got back to his
Office the clerk told him of the check,
and he at once rushed to the Bank OF
Commerce 10 dcuounce it as a forgery
The cashier th0n hurried to Inspector
Byrnes's Wall.stree bureau, aud De
toCtives Won Gerichten, Mulvey, and
Mulry Immediately set to work As Il
professional scamp wonld have cleared
ont Of the bank the moment the sigma
turc Of the check was questioned, they
concluded they had to deal with an ANA
teur, and as the description OF the
forgor tailed with that Of one of Mr..
Quintane's clerks, who was ont when
the banks messenger called, they
brought the clerk, whose name is
Joseph Quintaro, to the bank to see
if any one could identify him. Cashier
sherman thought he was the man, bat
the messenger was positive he was the
clerk he had seen in Mr.. Quintane's
Office who had caused the check to be
csshod 10y saying the signature looked
like that of Mr.. Quintane. lie was ac-
cordugly not detained.
The detectives. however, searched
Mr. Quintanc's Office. In one Of the
scrap-haskets they presently found Il
torn envelope directed to the cashier of
the Bank Of Commerce, and further
search discovered the fragments of
letter which, when put together, proved
TO be r draft of one OF the letters intro
ducine h. q. Arguclles Armed with this
proof the detectives collarcd Quintaro at
his home at DIS Bedford avenue, Brook
lyn. At the Central Office Inspector
Byrnes through an Interpreter, bull
dozed him after the French fashion
into confcssing his guilt. He said he
had been led to committing his crime
by reading in some novel of similar
sTindlc. The three $1,000 bills were
found under the carpet of the flight Of
stairs leading to Quintaro's room, on
the fourth floor at 228 Bedford avenue.
When searching Mr.. Quintanes Office
the detectives were puzzled by discoy-
cring two shallow holes drilled around
the combination of the safe. Quintlro,
m his confession, said ne had made the
holes with the idea Of makingit appear
that thieves had neen N the place and
stolen the blank form used for the
forged check. Quintaro has been but
six months in this country, which ac-
counts for the queer English of his let
tere